Iowa Cattlemen lead the way at Cattle Convention

Representatives from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association attended the 2023 Cattle Convention in early February in New Orleans, La. Eleven resolutions and directives were enacted as interim policy for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, three of which came from Iowa.

During the Ag and Food Policy Committee, ICA shared testimony based on our newly established CRP Guiding Principles. “The Conservation Reserve Program was never created with the cattle producer in mind,” stated Bob Noble, ICA president. “The average cash rent for pasture in Iowa is $59.50 per acre. The average CRP rental rate in Iowa is $234 per acre. This is the highest average in the nation. While the payment limitations on rental rates in the 2018 Farm Bill were a step in the right direction, more could be done to help cattle producers.”

ICA proposed the following CRP amendments:

• Allow periodic non-emergency haying and grazing approved by a NRCS Management Plan with no payment reduction (Did not pass)

• Limit the penalty for landowners who remove land from extended CRP contracts (Passed)

• Target CRP for marginal land, not productive acres or entire farms and ranches (Passed)

• Limit CRP rental rates to be less than private sector pasture rental rates within the county where contract acres are located (Amended - CRP rental rates should approximate but not